Upload
podnosh
View
936
Download
0
Embed Size (px)
DESCRIPTION
An introduction to Planning Aid as a way of achieving community goals, from Richard Hammersley
Citation preview
Getting Involved in Planning Decisions
Engaging with the Town Planning Process
2
Getting Involved in Planning Decisions
2
• Why should people be involved in planning decision-making?• 3 good reasons:
- enhancing democracy and empowering people - using the planning system to achieve community objectives and projects, enabling the Big Society to function properly- using local knowledge to improve what actually happens.
3
Getting Involved in Planning Decisions
• What gets in the way of community involvement?– lack of awareness of what can be done to
respond to issues. – lack of awareness of ways to face up to private
developers and public bureaucrats.– lack of resources to access appropriate
expertise.
4
Getting Involved in Planning Decisions
• Communities need a little help in overcoming the barriers to involvement.• For the Big Society to work, communities need
to access expertise.• For town planning expertise, there is
Planning Aid.
5
What is Planning Aid?
• A service providing free, independent and professional advice on town planning issues to community groups and individuals who cannot afford professional fees.• A national service of the Royal Town Planning
Institute, delivered regionally.• Funded partly by CLG and partly from
donations.
6
How do we do it?
• A small core of paid staff with volunteers who provide advice and support through:– explaining procedures and policies– helping write letters and statements– helping communities develop their own ideas– assisting in facilitating community/local planning
authority participation events – educational projects with young and old– offering training to community groups.
7
Getting Involved in Planning Decisions
• What sorts of planning decisions are there?– Policies: the basis and guidelines for making decisions
about individual projects – mostly found in national “Policy Statements” and local “Development Plans/ Frameworks” (including ‘Core Strategies’ and ‘Supplementary Planning Documents’)
– Permissions: granting or refusing applications to carry out a project, plus all the negotiations leading up that decision (“Development Management”).
8
Influencing Planning Decisions: Policies
• Reasons for wanting to influence decisions relating to Development Plans:– Decisions on individual planning applications
should ‘conform’ to Development Plan policies – if a Development Plan says “yes”, then it is
difficult for a Planning Authority to say “no”
• Objecting to a Planning Application may be TOO LATE!
9
Influencing Planning Decisions: Policies
• A further reason:– Development Plan processes are also a mechanism
for committing the Council (and other public agencies) to address issues, such as new roads, housing renewal, environmental improvements – and can pave the way to, say, a Development Trust project.
• A Development Plan policy is a major step towards seeing things happen!
10
Influencing Planning Decisions:Planning Applications
• Reasons for wanting to influence decisions relating to Development Management: – Oppose proposals in principle as being in the wrong
place and/or at the wrong time.– Amend proposals in design and detail.
• Enabling opportunities for improvements to your community and environment.
11
Influencing Planning Decisions:Planning Applications
• Using development to enable (finance) new local infrastructure – physical and social:– roads/traffic management, flood barriers …– schools, clinics, community centres …– open space, leisure centres, nature conservation …– affordable housing.
• Mechanisms: s106 Agreements, Community Infrastructure Levy (CIL)
12
Influencing Planning Decisions: Making A Case
• Make your comments as clear and concise as you can, focusing on your particular objection/ idea, but referring to the wider context.
• Be prepared to find evidence to back up your arguments – do your own research: egs– affordable housing: find out how many potential
households there are (Housing Department)– protect an area of open space: find out if there is a
local deficiency (NPFA/Sport England)– and guidance from Planning Aid!